By Cassandra Balentine
Several media vendors offer window media options designed to work in cold weather climates. Here we provide highlights for these solutions.
Continental Grafix USA, Inc.
Continental Grafix features a complete selection of window film designed to be installed and withstand the tough conditions that cold weather presents. “We offer a perforated window film as well as optically clear and white PET films and a white PVC film,” says Michelle Kempf, VP, sales and marketing, Continental Grafix.
X-Treme enables installation in temperatures as low as 5 degrees Fahrenheit and as great as 122 degrees Fahrenheit with unique high-tack adhesive, still removable without residue for up to six months. High-quality polymeric calendared face film is outdoor durable for up to five years. Available in custom roll lengths.
panoRama Innova Ice is exclusive perforated 60/40 window film backed with proprietary adhesive that can be installed in temperatures as as low as 5 degrees Fahrenheit and as great as 122 degrees Fahrenheit. Quality face film is durable for up to two years outdoors. Ideal for retail and fleet applications.
panoRama Innova Ice is well suited for unheated areas during winter or when vehicles with fresh graphics are returned to the road before standard perforated films can fully cure. “These films deliver reliable, stable, and consistent performance year-round, regardless of temperature, for mid- to long-term use,” notes Kempf.
iTac Clear and iTac White are both PET window films backed with clear repositionable, removable adhesive that can be installed in temperatures as low as over 25 degrees Fahrenheit.
iTac Clear is an optically clear film while iTac White is a white PET film, both which are great alternatives to cling film and can be installed wet or dry on glass, stainless steel, and other smooth surfaces.
Drytac
Drytac offers several cold weather compatible materials for all types of applications including windows, walls, and floors as well as other flat/simple curve surfaces. “Unlike most media solutions, Drytac’s adhesive science is specifically formulated to work in cold climates with application temperatures down to -4 degrees Fahrenheit,” says Dennis Leblanc, senior business manager, North America, Drytac.
GBC, part of ACCO Brands
Gudy by SEAL is a clear and repositionable mounting film with one permanent and one semi-permanent adhesive side that is designed to be cold weather compatible.
General Formulations
General Formulations has several films with adhesives that are designed with surface application temperatures down to 20 degrees Fahrenheit, both with HTR films on its Wall Mark products or removable adhesive on GF 209 and 209AE MetroMark.
It’s worth noting that application temperatures, or the temperature when you actually stick the graphic to the surface, is different than the service temperature, which is the variation of temperatures the graphic will see during its lifetime. “Generally, the application range is much smaller than the service temperature range as it focuses on the optimal conditions required for that initial stick (tack) that gives the adhesive time to bond to the surface,” says Jay Kroll, product manager for cut, transit, and wall solutions, General Formulations.
Newlife Magnetics, LLC
Newlife offers Cling King for wide format applications. It is available in white and clear and in sheets for digital printing. It is also available in frosted. For larger graphics the Cling King will need to be wet applied to achieve a bubble free install.
Jan2025, Digital Output
